In this very first episode of Life After Public Service, Donna reveals her own journey as a nurse with over 27 years of experience in the NHS and discusses the evolving landscape of public service roles. She highlights the challenges faced by public servants, including high attrition rates in the NHS and other sectors, and the increasing demands on healthcare professionals. Donna aims to create a platform for sharing inspiring stories from individuals in various public service fields, exploring both their successes and the reasons behind their career transitions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Donna aims to share the stories of individuals in public service roles, highlighting both their successes and challenges, and to provide insights into life after a career in public service.

• There is a significant attrition rate in public service roles, particularly in the NHS, where 40,000 nurses leave the profession each year. This reflects a gap between expectations and the realities of working in these fields.

• The public service landscape has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, with increased demand for services, advancements in technology, and a growing need for evidence-based care due to rising litigation.

• Donna encourages listeners to consider their career paths and the possibility of transitioning to new roles, emphasising that transferable skills from public service can open doors to various career options.

BEST MOMENTS

"I wanted to have a platform to be able to share the stories of everyday heroes. They are heroes, in my opinion. People who work in public service roles."

"The NHS is the biggest employer in the UK and it employs over 1.5 million people. But the attrition rate is 8%."

"There's a real ambition by a lot of people in the UK to work in these public service roles, but maybe the reality of it doesn't quite meet their expectation."

"If you're not happy in the role that you're doing, what else could I do? All of these roles give you transferable skills."

"Some of the topics that we discuss include war, terrorism, suicide, abuse, Covid, death and moral injury."

ABOUT THE HOST

Donna is a Registered Nurse who has worked in the NHS for three decades.

She brings you real-life stories from people in front-line public service roles. Some of the stories discuss war, terrorism, suicide, abuse, COVID, death, and vicarious moral injury, which may be triggering for some listeners. Alongside these are stories of joy, hope, empathy, and humanity, highlighting the positive impact individuals have made. Many of her guests have navigated career changes, found work-life balance, or transitioned into new roles, including charity work or entrepreneurship. If you have a story to share that could inspire others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch. Inviting individuals from fire, police and probation services, healthcare, military, teaching, social services, local government, and civil service.

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https://www.lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk/

Email: Donna@lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-bentley-carr

This podcast features real-life stories from frontline public service workers, covering tough topics such as war, trauma and loss, and may be triggering to some listeners. Guests also share their tales of everyday heroism, inspiring joy, hope, empathy and humanity. If you have a story to share that could encourage others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch.